Majority leader: Dogara’s camp rejects Gbajabiamila

  It must be him, APC loyalists insist

The lingering crisis over who gets what in the principal offices of the House of Representatives may be far from being over, as the Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s camp has vowed not to recognise Femi Gbajabiamila as the Majority Leader as directed by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It, however, stated that it had conceded the Majority Leader’s position to the Gbajabiamila’s camp, but not without the caveat that the candidate must not emerge from the South-west, which had already produced the Deputy Speaker, thereby tactically edging out Gbajabiamila who was endorsed for the position by the APC.

The Femi Gbajabiamila’s camp which dubbed itself “the 174 APC Loyalists” in a statement countered the Dogara group’s position, signed by Ahmed Rufai Chanchangi however stated that the choice of Gbajabiamila as directed by the party was non-negotiable.
But briefing newsmen yesterday on the APC’s peace committee, headed by Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Tuesday, spokesman of the Dogara’s camp, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said while they insisted that the principle of equity and federal character be respected in the distribution of the offices, they would not recognise the APC’s letter because it was not approved by the legal organs of the party.

He said: “After a very lengthy meeting with His Excellency, the immediate past Speaker and Governor of Sokoto state, we were able to make a far reaching concession and this is to allow for peace to reign in the House. It was very tough and of course the wise counsel of Governor of Sokoto on the need for a concession on peace prevailed.

“Three things were agreed (on); one, we maintained the position that we do not recognise the letter written by the party in quote, and I give u reasons. We have utmost respect for the Chairman of the party, but that letter did not pass through the relevant organs of the party. It was neither approved by the National Working Committee, the National Executive Council, not even the caucus was consulted and it was a product of one or two Governors, and of course the National Chairman.

“Secondly, the principal officers of the House must be in tandem with principle of equity and Federal Character as prescribed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The six positions usually occupied by the majority party; the Speaker, deputy speaker, House leader deputy house leader, the whip and deputy whip must go to the six geo-political zones, or otherwise, it must reflect the principle of equity and fairness and to that end, after the deliberation, we have agreed to concede the position of the House leader to the Femi’s group.

Reacting, the Gbajabiamila group said: “To the best of our knowledge, no counter-offer has been made to the APC Loyalists group after her first meeting with Tambuwal peace committee, wherein the APC Loyalists clearly stated that in line with party supremacy resolution reached at last APC NEC meeting, the position of the party on Femi Gbajabiamila as the House Leader was non-negotiable.